Statistics now show that in Africa, girls who receive secondary education are three times less likely to become HIV positive, have fewer children and earn 25% more for each year spent in school. The Global Partnership for Education reports that income across all genders increases roughly 10% for every additional year of schooling. Girls who are educated are more likely become teachers, politicians, doctors and leaders, creating positive, systemic change in their communities and continuing the cycle of education for following generations. It doesn’t stop there--education has been shown to reduce income inequality by up to 39%, increase GDP and even has the potential to reduce climate change and natural disasters through investment in the green economy. We know that it works, so what is keeping us from putting a greater emphasis on universal access to quality education?
One answer is that education doesn’t attract the same kind of international attention as disaster relief and fighting the spread of life-threatening illnesses. It is a slow process spread across many sectors and it takes years to yield significant, quantifiable results. It takes many years to educate a child and even more to observe the long-lasting, life-changing benefits. It could take decades before we see the power of education in ending the transfer of generational poverty.
This is where the work of illuminAid comes in. As founder and CEO Matt York stated, “we help bring education to those who cannot educate themselves.” Through easy-to-use video technology, illuminAid is able to provide education for communities in a variety of sectors and disciplines that go beyond the walls of the classroom. We have held video training workshops for teachers in Cambodia, teaching them how to use video as a tool for improving literacy and reading skills for their students. We worked with Save the Children in Nepal, Ethiopia and Mozambique to improve access to basic education. We provide educators and the public alike with the ability to educate each other through the creation and dissemination of locally made videos. illuminAid envisions a world in which no person is left without access to education through the use of technology.
References
Brende, B. (2015, July 7). Why education is the key to development. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/07/why-education-is-the-key-to-development/
GPE Secretariat. (2016, October 17). 5 ways education can help end extreme poverty. Retrieved from https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/5-ways-education-can-help-end-extreme-poverty
King, E. (2011, January 28). Education is Fundamental to Development and Growth. Retrieved from http://blogs.worldbank.org/education/education-is-fundamental-to-development-and-growth
Shapiro, J. (2015, October 3). Education Is The Key To All Global Development Goals (Q&A With Julia Gillard). Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanshapiro/2015/10/03/education-is-the-key-to-all-global-development-goals-qa-with-julia-gillard/#3fa1147123fd
Why girls' education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://camfed.org/why-girls-education/